Electric-current controller



Patented Apr. I8, |899.

J. B. BREEDING.

ELECTRIC CURRENT CONTROLLER.

(Application filed Aug. 18, 189B.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

JAMES BOULDIN BREEDING, OF SAN AN"NIO, TEXAS.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,393, dated April 18, 1899. Application {iled August 13, 1898. Serial No. 688,472. (No inodeh/ I To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES BOULDIN BREED- ING, of San Antonio, in the county ot' Bexar and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Electric Current Controller, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in electric-current controllers particularly adapted for use in connection with incandescent electric lamps; and the object is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive device by means of which the lamp may be caused to burn at various stages of brilliancy from that of a very dim light to the full candlepower of the lamp,and,further,to so construct the device that the use of fine wires is obviated, thus preventing the controller from being burned out by an excessive current.

I will describe an electric-current controller embodying my invention, and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a partial elevation and partial section of a controller embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section show- Fig. 3 is a section through the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of one of the resistanceblocks employed, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section thereof.

The controller comprises a number of resistance-blocks 1, consisting of plumbago or similar resistance material and arranged side by side, so as to practically form a cylinder. Each one of the resistance blocks is surrounded by a casing 2 of insulating material, so that one block is insulated from another. The several blocks are connected in series by cond uctoreplates 3, which have insulating material Il, arranged between them and the blocks. These conductor-plates have their lower ends 5 engaging electrically with the lower end oi' one resistance-block, and the upper end 6 is turned to engage upon the upperend ofthenextadjacentblock. Arranged between the first and last block of the series is a block 7 of insulating material the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The

several 'blocks may be secured together in any desired manner. These resistance-blocks are supported between cap-pieces 8 and 0 of insulating material-such, for instance, as porcelain-and surrounding the blocks and engaging with the caps 8 and E) is a casing 10. A metal lrod 11 extends through the center of the series of blocks; but the blocks are insulated from said rod by an insulating-sleeve 12. The end of the rod l1 which projects through the cap Q has a screw-contact 13, adapted to engage with one pole in an incandescent-lamp base, and a ring 14, secured to said cap, is designed to engage with the other pole in the lamp-base. This ring 1i has an electrical connection 15 with a plate 16, which is in electrical connection with the first of the series of blocks and here indicated by 17.

The end of the rod 11 which projects through' the cap 8 has an electrical connection 1S with a binding-post 1S), with which the conductor connects. The other conductor 21 connects with a binding-post 22, which is in electrical engagement with a spring-contact 28, mounted on the cap 8 and designed to bear with its free end upon the portion S of the conductor-plates. The cap G is designed to rotate on the rod 1l, so that there may be a relative rotary movement between said cap andthe bodyportion or that portionin which the resistance-blocks are placed. For convenience in turning one part relatively to the other I have shown in Fig. 1 a ingerpiece 24 as extended from a metal cover 25, engaged withthe cap S. In Fig. 2, however, I have shown a handle or linger-piece 2G as extended from a socket 27, connected with the cap 9.

In operation when the contact 23 is in engagement with the block 7 of non-conducting material it is obvious that the current will be cut out vfrom the lamp. By rotating the parts, however, so that the contact 23 engages with the plate portion 6, engaged with the upper end of the block 17, the current will be through the wire 21, the spring-contact 23, the resistance-block 17, the connection 15, the ring 14,throu gli the lam p-ilament, and thence through the rod 11 and out through the wire 20. By rotating the parts still further, so that the contact 23 will engage with the plate portion G on the top of the resistance-bloclr` roo connected to the one described or the initial block, the current will flow through the sec ond block, thence up through the plate 3, and thence down through the initial block 17 and through the lamp, as before described, and thus as a greater resistance is formed the light will be caused to burn dimmer, and this of course can be carried out through'all the series of resistance-blocks, it being understood that the greater the number of blocks through which the current passes the dimmer will be the light.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. An electric-current controller', comprising a number of resistance-blocks arranged in the form of a cylinder and connected in series, caps of insulating` material between which the blocks are arranged, a rod extended longitudinally through the blocks but insulated therefrom and forming a portion of an electric conductor, a contact carried by one ofthe caps and adapted for electrical connection with the blocks and a conductor leading directly from one of the blocks, substantially as specified.

2. An electric-light controller, comprising a number of resistance-blocks connected in series, caps of insulated material between which said blocks are arranged, a rod extended longitudinally through the blocks and forming a portion of an electric conductor, the said rod being adapted for engagement with an incandescent electric lamp, a spring-contact carried by one of the caps and adapted for electrical connection with the resistance blocks, and a direct connection between one of said resistance-blocks and a ring contact piece, substantially as specified.

3. An electric-light controller, comprising a number of carbon blocks and a block of insulating material, all of said blocks being connected together in substantially cylindrical form, a conductor-plate connecting the lower end ot one carbon block with the upper end of the adjacent carbon block, the said conductor-plate being insulated from the side of the carbon block to which it is attached, caps of insulating material between which the blocks are mounted, one cap being arranged to rotate relatively to the other cap, a rod of conducting material extended through the caps and through the blocks, but insulated from said blocks, and a spring-contact carried by one of the caps and adapted to engage with the contact-plates of the blocks, substantially as speciiied.

JAMES BOULDIN BREEDING. lVitncsses:

M. W. DAVIS, Gnoncn R. GILLE'r'rn. 

